The Scarf for Two
by ArollaPine
Summary: The story starts just after the "Zombizou" episode (Season 2), when Ladybug promised Cat Noir the kiss. Cat Noir wants to do something nice for Ladybug and he orders a present for her. At Marinette's. The MariChat story that starts from the canon state of play. Impossible? Check it out :-)
1. You'll get your kisses

_**Warning!**__ Below you'll find some spoilers from "Zombizou" episode (MLB Season 2)_

"_Don't worry Kitty, you'll get your kisses._" She'd said that. He was absolutely sure. It wasn't a dream. He'd heard that, despite he was under the spell of Zombizou. Once, long time ago he'd already been under the spell of the super-villain. But then he didn't remember anything what had happened when he was under Dark Cupid's influence. Unfortunately, this time he remembered everything – including all the kisses he left on Chloe's cheeks. He shook himself with disgust. It was like kissing a sister. Terrible…

He shuddered at the mere memory.

"Something's bothering you, kid?" Plagg asked ironically, holding – as usual – his beloved cheese in his arms.

"Sometimes I'd rather not remember everything…" Adrien sighed.

"Yeah, I got it perfectly." Kwami agreed. "All that kissing is disgusting!"

"Not always…"

"You liked kissing Chloe?!" Plagg almost choked.

"Chloe?! No! Definitely not!"

"You've kissed anyone else?"

"Me? No, not yet. But…" Adrien stopped suddenly and blushed.

But he'd heard the promise. And he didn't know how he should understand those words. Maybe Ladybug only tried to divert his attention to get more time? Or maybe… Maybe… Well, he remembered very well that moment, when he had stopped the crowd of kissing zombies to let Ladybug save them all. She returned to him for a moment and gently touched his cheek. And she looked at him affectionately. As if she appreciated his sacrifice and… As if she felt something for him? Something more than just a friendship?

Adrien sighed dreamily.

"I preferred when you were hopelessly in love." Plagg muttered. "At least you gave me as much cheese as I wanted only to listen to your dilemmas and problems. Now, probably I'll starve."

"Do you think I should try once again?" The boy spotted.

"I think you should _give_ _me_ some cheese." Kwami corrected.

"Man does not live by cheese alone." Adrien said but reached for camembert anyway.

"Thank gods I'm not a man…" Plagg murmured and focused on eating.

"Sometimes I wonder if there's anything in the world you love more than this stinky nasty stuff." Adrien noticed wryly.

"What?!" Kwami narrowed his eyes and hugged the camembert to his cheek. "You haven't heard that…" he murmured to the piece of cheese.

"Are you talking to cheese?"

"Are you talking to yourself?" Plagg answered back. "Or to pictures of some Ladybugs?"

"Not _some_ Ladybugs, but _one_ special Ladybug. Anyway… You won't understand. You love only your cheese."

"Not true!"

"Not true?" Adrien was surprised. "Is there anything else you love?"

"No, there's no _thing_ I love more than cheese." Plagg mumbled.

"No thing." Adrien repeated slowly. "Thing. So, if I asked you: is there _anyone_ you love more than cheese…"

"I'm not talking to you!" Plagg flew away to the bathroom.

"Who is that, Plagg?" Adrien started to pester his kwami finding the exchange of their roles somehow funny.

"Don't play with the cat, Adrien!" kwami warned the boy.

"_Adrien_? Not _'kid'_ anymore?" Adrien laughed, knowing that he caught Plagg having a weakness.

"Don't you have your own problems?" Plagg escaped from his holder.

"You're changing the subject, Plagg. Come on, share your secret!"

"Which one?"

"You have more?"

"Millions. But it's better for you if I don't share them with you."

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked, suddenly worried.

"I can't, kid" Plagg replied becoming serious. And by these words he disarmed his holder. "Your time hasn't come yet."

Adrien frowned. How did it happen that their joking argument led him to some great secret? He could tease sarcastic Plagg, angry Plagg, amused Plagg. But when his kwami became serious, Adrien knew that something very important was behind it.


	2. Not THAT part!

_**Warning!**__ "Zombizou" spoilers below! And a minor spoiler from "Glaciator" episode._

"_Don't worry Kitty, you'll get your kisses._" She'd really said that! Marinette dived into the pillow to hide the flush on her face before Tikki noticed. But what she wanted to gain, if kwami knew all her feelings?

What she'd been thinking?! Sure, she'd been acting under extreme pressure. Everyone had so much hope in her, everyone was sacrificing. So did Cat Noir. Not for the first time, by the way. Until now, she thought he'd been doing it because he followed the reason. She was the only one who could catch and purify akumas. But after what he'd told her… About the kiss… That he wouldn't want to kiss her under the influence of a spell… She wasn't sure anymore whether he followed the reason or rather his heart. And if it was his heart…

"Ughr!" she exclaimed irritably, straight into the pillow.

"Something's wrong?" Tikki asked quietly, approaching the girl.

"Still the Zombizou case's bothering me…" Marinette said and immediately blushed seeing the meaningful smile on her kwami's face. "Tikki!"

"What?"

"I'm not talking about _that_!"

"You're not?" Tikki smiled wider.

"Oh, all right…" Marinette sighed. "_That_ is also bothering me. I mean… _That part_ actually irritates me! I'm worried about something else."

"Well… When you say: '_that part_' which _part_ you mean exactly?" Tikki asked, eating her cookie and observing the girl's deepening flush.

"Oh, you know which…" Marinette groaned and hid her face in the pillow again.

"I can only guess. But why it irritates you? After all, you already said that you were wrong about Cat Noir?"

"What?!" Marinette exclaimed and looked shocked at her kwami.

"Well… During the fight against Glaciator…" Tikki reminded.

"Oh, right… But you know that I love Adrien! I can't reciprocate Cat Noir's feelings! I can't love two boys at once!"

"You're right. You can't love _two_ boys at once…" Tikki confirmed in such a tone that Marinette looked at her closely.

"Are you suggesting something?"

"Me? Of course not!" Kwami denied and took a cookie to avoid adding anything more.

"Oh, never mind! I have no idea why we're talking about that! I'm worried about what had happened before. I mean before I told Cat Noir…" Marinette hesitated, suddenly embarrassed. "You know… what I told him. Oh, Tikki! It bothers me that I let myself feel negative emotions and I attracted the akuma. I've always thought you protect me from the akumas. That I can't be a victim of Hawkmoth."

Tikki looked at the girl with wide eyes and remained silent.

"Tikki?"

"Oh, Marinette… Why have you thought I can protect you from the akumas?"

"Well, no akuma has ever approached to me. Actually, they avoid me, because I can catch them as Ladybug."

"Why haven't you thought that it's because you're such a positive person and you're not an interesting target for Hawkmoth?"

Marinette looked at her kwami totally shocked. It was terrible news. Until now, she lived in an illusory sense of security that Tikki would protect her from the attack of the akuma. That kwami's positive energy created a kind of protective cocoon, thanks to which all her emotions remained somewhat neutral to Hawkmoth's radars. Meanwhile, her safety depended only on herself. Of course, it was comforting that she was such a positive person that Hawkmoth could only dream of targeting her but knowing that she was only on her own was the additional weight on her shoulders.

"That's terrible…" Marinette whispered.

"Why?"

"Oh, Tikki!" the girl groaned and hid her face in the pillow.

"You'll suffocate…"

"I can't bear this pressure…" Marinette sighed after a moment. "It's too much…"

"I don't understand…"

But Marinette didn't answer, just sighed heavily. And then, without a word, she got out of bed and went out onto the balcony, leaving her kwami with a big question mark in her eyes.

x x x

Fresh air surrounded Marinette as soon as she stepped out onto the balcony. That was what she needed! _Breath, Marinette…_ She went to the railing and for a moment she felt like the metal would melt that under her touch. _Breath, Marinette…_ She had to calm down. She had to control this fear, this panic… _Breath, Marinette…_

Marinette hid her face in her hands. They were quite cool after contact with the railing, but she still had the impression that her face was hot. As if all the thoughts and emotions accumulated throughout the day began to boil in her head and at any moment were to find the escape in the form of a steam.

"Are you all right, Princess?" She suddenly heard just above the ear and jumped up frightened.

She hadn't heard when he'd come. She had no idea how long he'd been here and observed her. And actually, why he was here?

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you." Cat Noir whispered putting his hand on her shoulder.

"It's… uhm… it's OK…" Marinette stuttered, blushing horribly.

He was the last thing she needed right now. Immediately all thoughts she'd been trying not to think about came to the fore. Thought about kissing. About kissing Cat Noir, to be precise. Why couldn't she stop thinking about it? She glanced at his lips. That wasn't wise… she looked away quickly and turned to the railing.

"I can see something bothers you." He replied and sat at the railing next to her. Like the last time when he had visited her. When Ladybug hadn't come to the meeting. To the date, actually. Whatever. When Cat Noir told her that he loved her. Ladybug, actually. Whatever. Oh, God! What was happening to her?!

"I've had a terrible day. That's all."

"Tell me about it!" he sighed. "At least you didn't have to kiss Chloe…"

Marinette laughed hearing that. She remembered the moment when Chloe hugged Cat Noir to let Ladybug fight against Zombizou.

"You win. Your day was worse than mine. At least I didn't have to kiss Chloe…"

"The worst thing is that I remember that all." He muttered. "I'd rather not to…"

"You do?" she asked astonished. "E-everything?"

"Everything." He admitted and got lost in thoughts.

That wasn't good. It meant that he also remembered the promise of Ladybug. Marinette felt her pulse quickened, she could hear the heart beating in her ears. Panic was coming back. This time it was caused by her thoughts about Cat Noir.

"And you?" her partner asked suddenly, turning his face toward her. "Whom did you have to kiss?"

"What?!" She exclaimed. "I? No, no… I-I didn't kiss anyone!"

Cat Noir snorted with laughter.

"Just don't tell me that's why you're depressed."

"What?!" now she was outraged. She looked at him sternly. "Man does not live by kissing alone."

"Thank gods I'm not a man…" Cat Noir recalled Plagg's words.

"Wh-what?" – she stuttered with astonishment.

"Oh, no! Not that!" he laughed. "I've just remembered my kwami's expression."

"I don't get it."

"He told me that today."

"You talk with your kwami about kissing?" she asked and blushed immediately, when she remembered what she had been talking about with her kwami.

"That was about cheese…" Cat Noir murmured completely unaware what was happening with his interlocutor.

"About cheese?" she repeated.

"My kwami loves cheese." He explained. "He can eat it all day long. Probably he could eat it during the sleep, I guess. And today we had a serious talk about serious problems and all he could focus on was cheese. So, finally I told him that man didn't live by cheese alone, and he answered: '_Thank gods I'm not a man'_. And that's the story."

"What did you talk about?" she asked before she held her tongue.


	3. The order

_**Warning!**__ "Zombizou" and "Glaciator" spoilers below! _

Unexpectedly, Cat Noir blushed. Despite embarrassment, he couldn't lie:

"About La-Ladybug."

"About Ladybug?" Marinette whispered with astonishment.

"Uhm, yeah." He nodded and stared at the darkness.

"But… Why?" she took all her courage to ask.

"Well, I told you once…" he hesitated, and she was out of breath. They shouldn't start this topic. It didn't help to solve her dilemmas at all! "It's just that… You know, Ladybug and I are partners. I think she's my best friend. I trust her immensely. And she seems to reciprocate at least _this_ feeling…"

Marinette held back a sigh. She heard that note of regret as he emphasized the words "at least this feeling." On the other hand, she felt so happy hearing how much Cat Noir respected their friendship.

"I'm sure she does…" she whispered.

He glanced at her and added:

"The problem is that we don't know each other in the civilian lives. Can you imagine I don't even know when she has her birthday?"

Marinette giggled. Actually, she could tell him that Ladybug's birthday was very soon.

"I'd like to do something nice for her." He continued. "You know, at least to give her a birthday present. But how can you do that if you don't know the date?"

"You still can give it to her any other day." She said simply.

"You think she won't mind?"

"The present?!" she laughed. "She's a girl. Of course, she won't mind! Just buy her something pretty."

"Well… I'd like to give her something exceptional. Something that cannot be bought in the store. I think that all that happened today was because of we're not nice enough for each other." Cat Noir said. "Miss Bu… The teacher was akumatised because Hawkmoth told her he'd help her to make people nice to each other."

"It's not true." Marinette denied. "She… She…"

"Princess?" Cat Noir jumped off the railing, seeing that the girl started to panic.

"She was attacked, because she defended _me_…" Marinette admitted and started crying.

And Cat Noir instinctively embraced her and hugged her.

x x x

Time passed, and Cat Noir had no idea how long they had been standing hugged. He was stroking her head, she was crying. All emotions subdued during the day had been released. She couldn't stop them anymore.

"Hey, it's not your fault…" he murmured, when he heard she'd started to control herself.

"Not true" she denied, sniffling. "I was really mad at Chloe. It was so unfair! And then this butterfly arrived. The akuma. I was horrified. They've never… I've never been attacked before. I've always thought… that I'm safe."

"You're one of the most cheerful people in the world, Princess. I can't imagine that Hawkmoth would be able to send the akuma on you."

"Yet, he did. And Miss Bustier… She… She wanted to keep it away. I saw her defeat, I saw her fighting against all those things Hawkmoth was saying to her. And I saw… I saw when she gave up. That was terrible!" suddenly her voice broke and she was about to start crying again.

"I can imagine, how you feel. It's too much, isn't it?" Cat Noir sighed and hugged her again.

Suddenly a thought occurred to Marinette that he didn't even know how much it was in fact. She couldn't tell him that the whole class – person by person, including Chloe! – had sacrificed themselves to let Ladybug save all of them. It was terrible – seeing those kissing zombies catching them: one by one. Especially when they caught Alya. And when Nino offered himself to stay there with his girlfriend, something huge grew in her heart. A deep emotion. With a little pinch of the jealousy – that she had no one to sacrifice for her.

No one? What a nonsense! Of course, she had someone like that. Someone who had sacrificed himself this day. And many times before. Someone, who was standing next to her right now. Someone, who had no idea who was standing next to him. Someone, who didn't know why this day had been so hard for her. Someone, to whom she promised a kiss…

"Thank you, Cat…" she whispered finally.

"For what?"

"For comforting me. For… uhm…" she hesitated. "For being nice to me."

"Always at your service, Purrincess!" He grinned in reply.

Marinette did her best to not roll her eyes. It would be too much Ladybug-like.

"I think I can do something for you." She said instead.

"What? No! I didn't comfort you to get something back!" He protested, and she giggled.

"I can help you with the present you wanted to give your Ladybug."

"She's not _mine_." He sighed.

"Let it be." She nodded. "I can help you with the present you wanted to give _not-your_ Ladybug."

"Really? You could do it?" he smiled.

"You know, I can design things. And I can sew too. So… You can order something."

"Anything?"

"Anything. Well, maybe except underwear…" she added quietly, and Cat Noir flushed.

"I wouldn't even…" he began, but he stopped, embarrassed.

"I think I'd kill myself if you ordered lingerie for Ladybug…" she murmured.

He looked at her in amazement, not really knowing how to interpret her words.

"Yes, I know, I've started the subject myself." She admitted. "Forget about it! So, what do you want me to do?"

"Except underwear…" he said with his catlike smile.

"Cat…" She sighed irritated. "I think I'll kill _you_ instead of myself.".

"Ladybug will never forgive you if you do this."

"If she finds out that I have killed you because you wanted to buy her underwear, she will even help me to dig a grave." Marinette answered back, and Cat Noir began to laugh loudly. After a moment, Marinette joined him.

"So, what do you want me to prepare?" She came back to the matter when they had already finished laughing.

"I don't know…" he got lost in thoughts for a while. "Maybe… Maybe a scarf?"

"A scarf?" Marinette repeated in astonishment, and he blushed again.

"I have… I mean I've known someone… I mean… I think a scarf can be a nice present, don't you think?"

"I think that even a very nice present." She replied, and her thoughts went to a memory of the day when she had done one, particular scarf for Adrien. For his birthday.

"Can… Can you do that?"

"Oh, Cat! I can sew scarves with my eyes closed!" she laughed.

"Purrfect!" He smiled, and she mentally rolled her eyes.

"Any requirements? I mean the colour, pattern or deadline?"

"Er… I assume that the red scarf with black dots will be too cliché?"

"Oh, Cat… I'm afraid you have no idea about the fashion…"

Cat Noir only glanced at her and laughed.

"I should trust the professional then." He said after a while, winking to her.

"I'm not the professional. But I'll do my best. After all, it's a special order…"

"You know what?" he began shyly. "I think…"

"Yeah?"

"Could it be a… a green scarf?"

"Green?" she repeated in astonishment. "Ladybug likes green?"

"Honestly, I have no idea what's her favourite colour…" he said, embarrassed. "But… If it is a gift from me, I'd like it to… to remind Ladybug about me a little…"

Saying this he terribly blushed. And Marinette ran out of breath.


	4. Troubles

"Oh, Tikki…" Marinette groaned, hiding her face in the pillow. "I'm so in troubles…"

"I'm worried about your new habits…" kwami replied.

"What?" The girl looked up.

"You'll suffocate. How many times do I have to repeat that there's no sense in hiding into a pillow in front of kwami?"

"Oh, you're right…" Marinette agreed. "But still… Oh, come on! What have I done?!"

"Long story short: Cat Noir visited you, and you – feeling guilty – agreed to prepare a gift for yourself." Tikki summed up, and her interlocutor hid in the pillow again.

"Hw cn I gt t f ths?" Marinette mumbled, and the kwami immediately moved the pillow from her embraces.

"I told you that you'd suffocate! And what have you just said?"

"How can I get out of this?" Marinette repeated.

"Just make the scarf. And then pretend you're very surprised when Can Noir gives you the gift."

"Tikki, be serious!"

"I _am_ serious. I just remind you that you need to bear the consequences of your decisions."

"I couldn't refuse him the help!" Marinette confessed suddenly. "He said so many warm-hearted things about our friendship. He just wanted to do something nice for Ladybug! I can't believe he thought about a gift for me. And that it should be something special. And… Something that will remind me that it's from him…"

"Are you really going to make a _green_ scarf?"

"Yes. I even have an idea of what it should look like. But if it's to succeed, I will need some money for the fabric. You know… The special scarf has to be made of special fabric."

"And you won't have a chance to wear it…" Tikki spotted.

"What? Why?" Marinette was surprised.

"Well… As Ladybug you shouldn't wear expensive scarves, because they can disturb you during the fight, or they can be damaged. And as Marinette you can't wear it, because Cat Noir will learn about your identity."

"Oh, I haven't thought about it."

"But you'll do what you think you should."

"Tikki, I can't withdraw now. It's important for Cat Noir. I can't let him down."

"Oh, of course…" Tikki winked meaningful, but Marinette didn't pay attention. She was already focused on the design of the green scarf…

x x x

Adrien woke up in the morning filled with so many optimistic thoughts. The talk he had had with Marinette yesterday evening gave him the hope that he could win Ladybug's heart. The plan was brilliant! When he gave her the gift, her heart would be melted, and she'd answer his feelings. Especially, if the present was so personal!

The boy sighed happily for the twentieth time at least, and that drove Plagg crazy. Oh, come on! How much he could think about Ladybug?! And how could he forget about poor kwami's stomach… Scandalous!

"I wonder how long it will take Marinette to make the scarf." Adrien muttered during brushing his teeth.

"I hope less than camembert needs to ripen…" Plagg murmured.

"What?"

"Somewhere there is a cow eating green grass. It gives tasty milk that will turn into the curd which will be transferred to low cylindrical camembert moulds…"

"Plagg, are you OK?"

"Not really. I'm trying to deceive my stomach with stories about cheese. Maybe it will start thinking that I've eaten something? Before I _starve_…"

"Come on, Plagg! You have the fridge full of camembert!"

"I had. Past simple tense, kid. I _had_."

"You've eaten everything?!" Adrien was shocked. "Winter is coming, or you're depressed?"

"Camembert should be eaten fresh. I have to eat it soon after its production, otherwise it can become overripe and dangerous for my health. I would never forgive myself if I had to throw away this wonderful cheese to the garbage."

"You shouldn't throw away food in general." Adrien stated.

"And now you're talking, kid!" kwami grinned. "Can I have my breakfast finally? I can promise you one thing" I'll never waste even a bit of cheese. Never!"

"I'm sure you won't. I remember that cheese is what you love the most in the world." The boy sighed. "I'm going for your breakfast then…"

"It will be a perfect day…" Plagg whispered dreamily.

Unfortunately, he was _so_ wrong…


	5. A date at the ice rink

_**Warning!**__ "Frozer" spoilers below! _

Everything went wrong! Cat Noir was so disappointed that he wanted to destroy half of Paris with his "CATaclysm". Or at least the Eiffel Tower. Or just to kick the wall to break his toe. Perhaps the physical pain would drown his broken heart.

He had been so hopeful! After yesterday's events, especially how Ladybug had looked at him, after her promise, after the hope awakened after the conversation with Marinette… And all for nothing! Ladybug refused to accept his rose, his confession, his love… She behaved completely differently than he'd expected. Completely different than Marinette had suggested!

In the end Ladybug dispelled all his hopes by saying that there was no chance that she would change the target of her feelings. So, maybe it was the right time for him to do it? How long could you wait for impossible?

Adrien didn't have even a chance to talk about it with anyone – and that was the worst. Only Kagami – after defeating him during the fencing classes – showed him some empathy. Quite a lot of empathy for Kagami, to be honest. She even accepted the despised rose. She almost suggested… Wait, wait a moment! Maybe it wasn't a bad idea?

"It's a bad idea." Plagg dispelled Adrien's hopes immediately.

"Maybe Kagami is right. Maybe I should change the target."

"But: Ka-Ga-Mi?! Seriously?" Plagg winced. "Don't you have any other girls around?"

"At least Kagami seems to see me as her boyfriend. The rest of girls are either freaky fangirls or colleagues who will always see me as their schoolmate."

"Only if we assume that you understand properly what you see." Kwami murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe you only _think_ that _some_ girls see you as their schoolmate?"

"Nah, Chloe is only joking." Adrien misunderstood Plagg's suggestion.

Kwami rolled his eyes. That boy was hopeless! If he really wanted to change the target, why didn't he choose the most logical, obvious and – for many reasons – most appropriate one? And now he was going to start dating this personified dragon who will let him go only if… No, she would never let him go…

"You'll have to bear the consequences of your decisions, kid. Don't come to me later for the rescue!" Plagg muttered unpleasantly.

"What do you mean?" Adrien didn't understand again.

But Plagg couldn't answer. Adrien would be probably offended if he heard kwami's opinion on Kagami, from now on his new target. No, silence was better. And praying for the miracle.

"Just try to listen next time! And to read between the lines!" Plagg said finally and left to his camembert corner.

"I don't get it…" Adrien sighed.

He felt he should talk about Kagami with someone. Plagg wasn't a good advisor. He needed a girl to talk about the techniques of impressing the girl. He knew that Marinette had let him down in Ladybug case, but maybe she would be more helpful with Kagami case?

After all, she was his only hope. She was his best friend, except Nino, of course. But Nino wasn't a girl. And he wasn't good in giving advice on matters of the heart.

x x x

Marinette couldn't decide which day was the worst in her life. That one, when Adrien had told her about his dating plans. Or rather that one when she – fool of all fools! – decided to go with him for his date with Kagami. The date which ended with a cheek kiss…

"Sheesh!" Marinette exclaimed irritably.

She threw a beautiful emerald scarf on the desk and went out onto the balcony. Why was she making the damn scarf? What was this supposed to give? After all, she didn't want to be with Cat Noir, right? That had been a nonsense giving him a hope that if he gave Ladybug the scarf as a gift, she would return his feelings. When they had talked about it a few days ago, she was suggested by Cat Noir's words, especially those about the friendship and being nice for each other. The talk seemed to her to be quite innocent. In the meantime, he felt encouraged to confess his love again, even though she clearly told him that she liked someone else.

Someone who started dating with a girl. And that girl wasn't Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

"Sheesh…" she snorted.

"Tough day?" she heard just next to her.

Of course. Cat Noir. She glanced at him quickly. He was sad. Immediately, she felt guilty. Yes, she had hurt him today. She knew that. His behaviour during the fight against Frozer showed her it very well. Yet, when she was in troubles he came back. He helped her. They were a team again. They defeated Frozer _together_. So… What was between them now? Actually, between Cat Noir and _Ladybug_! Because there was _nothing_ between Cat Noir and Marinette. Except the order for the green scarf.

"I think I'll cancel the order." Cat Noir whispered.

"Oh, no! Cat, you can't!" she exclaimed in astonishment and took his hand. He glanced at her but looked away immediately.

"Why I can't?" he growled. "I didn't promise anything to Ladybug. She even doesn't know about the scarf. She doesn't wait for it…"

_How doesn't she?!_ Marinette wanted to shout.

"But… But I've already bought the fabric…" she whispered instead.

"You were wrong. She wasn't happy!" he said suddenly.

"Oh, Cat… Why didn't you wait for the scarf?" she asked him with regret.

"I wanted to be nice for her! She had accepted a rose from me once. Why shouldn't I try again?"

"Don't you think you're pushing her a little?" Marinette became irritated suddenly.

"I'm not pushing her at all!"

"Yeah, right!" She snorted ironically. "You just handed her a rose and repeated your confession!"

"This is hopeless!" He was so focused on his own emotions that he didn't pay attention to Marinette, who suddenly realised what she had said. "Ladybug will always look at me as a friend. Have you ever liked someone who sees only a friend in you?" He asked into the air.

Marinette felt torn. On the one hand, his question was – ironically! – exactly to the point. Which was, in a perfidious way, quite a funny coincidence. On the other hand – and it was the dominant side – Cat Noir accidentally touched upon the most painful secret of her heart. Especially the matter that had hurt her the most during today's meeting at the ice rink.

"If you have to know…" she sighed. "Yes. I have liked someone who sees me as only a friend. _You all_ see me as 'only a friend'!" she added irritably.

"What do you mean: '_we all_'?" he asked in astonishment, automatically in a defending tone.

"Boys."

"Not all, I think." He denied. "As far as I remember, you have already been on a date with Nathaniel, Nino and Luka." Cat Noir began to count on his fingers.

"Excuse me?!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, I know about these three. Who knows who you've been dating yet."

"Depends on how to treat your visits…" she muttered in response, and he gave her a quick look.

"Completely friendly." he answered carefully.

"Yeah…" She sighed. "You see… Nathaniel was just looking for a kindred spirit and he thought that I'm such a person, because we both go to art classes. And Nino couldn't be in love with me, if one hour in a cage with Alya made him fall in love with her. If he was in love with me, he wouldn't change his feelings so easily and so quickly. Such things don't happen… Just don't." she stopped suddenly.

"But… They are not impossible?"

"Sometimes I think that everything is possible. I mean. I hope. And time heals all wounds." She added after a while.

After these words both became silent and got lost in their thoughts.

"And Luka?" Cat Noir asked suddenly with a strange hoarse in his voice.

"Luka is just a very smart boy…" she replied quietly.

Yes. Luka had put two and two together practically at once. And he just let her go after the boy she was in love with.


	6. Why do you treat Marinette differently?

Adrien didn't understand anything now. He came back home feeling more emotionally torn after the talk with Marinette than he had felt before going to her. In fact, he couldn't even explain why he had gone there today. Just yesterday he had wanted to go to Marinette and blame the failure with Ladybug on her. He wanted to release all his frustration, disappointment and pain.

But then he talked to Kagami and decided to try to change the target. All his anger at Marinette disappeared somewhere. He needed her advice. Her support. And then… Then he was only confused. The whole date at the ice rink was like a disaster, those strange gestures of Luka's caring for Marinette, Kagami's possessive behaviour that was completely different he had expected… Finally, the fight with Frozer, when he could express all the anger directly on Ladybug… And even though he had told her how much he had been hurt, he couldn't leave her alone in the fight with the super-villain. She was still his partner. And he still loved her. Hopelessly. Without reciprocity. He realised that no roses and no scarves would change that. That's why he had to cancel his order…

He didn't cancel. What was worse – he made a scene as if he was jealous of all her admirers.

"What could she have on mind by saying that Luka is a very smart boy?" Adrien asked, making Plagg choke with camembert.

"You'll… kill… me… kid…"

"So, stop eating." Adrien advised.

"I have to protect my psyche somehow." Kwami answered back.

"She said that Luka was a very smart boy. Then she became silent…" the boy recalled again. "She said nothing more about our meeting at the ice rink. What could that mean?"

"But you said that she was _just_ your friend, when I asked you about her at the bathroom's door." Kwami reminded and Adrien only gritted his teeth. "Why do you worry that a boy is trying to win her heart, and she admires him? It seems that because he's smart… Well, a matter of taste…"

"I'm not worried." Adrien lied, and realising how much he bended the truth he got worried even more.

"Yeah, sure…" Plagg snorted.

"I do think that Marinette is my friend. She thinks the same, I think. Remember when we were talking this afternoon? You know… After the meeting at the ice rink?"

"You mean your date?"

"The _meeting_." Adrien corrected, blushing.

"Whatever."

"So, I asked her if she wanted to go just with me. She denied immediately. On the other hand, she reproached me for treating her as just a friend."

"Well…" Plagg mumbled diplomatically.

"Could you help a little more constructively?"

"Believe me, Adrien. I wish I could. But I can't. I can't interfere in your relationship with… uhm… girls…"

"Really? And all those digs about Chloe and Kagami are what?"

"Oh, and Lila…" Plagg reminded himself and grinned. "Your biggest mistake."

"You didn't have any problems with interfering in my relations with them."

"That was different" kwami extricated himself.

"What's in Marinette that you treat her differently?"

"Oh, kid. I think that this question is for you, not me." Plagg replied, and flew away to his corner with stinking cheese, perfectly aware that Adrien wouldn't go there.

x x x

"What's in Marinette that you treat her differently?" – Adrien repeated this question in his head for half of night. Without the answer.

She was his best friend. He could always count on her. Sure, she tended to be clumsy, but it was charming in a way. In fact, he had learnt about the _real_ her only yesterday evening, when she was arguing with him about the boys. He realised that she was quite easy with expressing her opinions. He had never noticed it before.

Perhaps because their conversations were usually a strange collection of stuttering and misunderstandings? Marinette had clearly made him understand that he was just a good friend to her. Whenever he'd said something nice to her, she answered with a monosyllable or a joke. When she suggested next meeting at the ice rink, and he asked if they were to go alone on it, she immediately turned it into a group meeting. With Kagami and Luka. Except that he'd already known that Kagami was a mistake. But what if Marinette tried to inform him that Luka was someone special to her?

Suddenly a thought occurred to him. He remembered the evening when he had visited Marinette on her balcony. She told him then about a boy she was in love with. Did she mean Luka Couffaine?

He called himself to order immediately. Why did he treat this so emotionally? It was good that she'd finally went out with that boy, wasn't it? Luka was kind, warm and had artistic soul – like Marinette. They seemed to be a perfect match. So, everything was OK – Adrien stayed by his target, Marinette by hers.

Adrien sighed. He remembered the moment when he had to tell Kagami that he wouldn't change his target. Well, she didn't look quite convinced, since she offered to wait – just in case he changed his mind. And when she said that, she glanced quickly at Marinette.

He gasped. Did it look like that? That Marinette was his crush? That was ridiculous! He almost burst out laughing. Suddenly, he realised why Kagami had never liked Marinette. That was a huge misunderstanding!

But the first thought provoked the next ones. What if Marinette thought the same? That he felt something to her? What if she wanted to tell him that she preferred Luka?

Adrien sighed again. That was a mess. He shouldn't be distracted by such thoughts. Let's stick to the plan. Marinette would finish the scarf, he'd give it to Ladybug and she'd fall in love with him. Yes, that was a very good plan. No more roses and confessions! Just listen what Marinette was saying. And wait for the scarf.

"Can you finally go to sleep?!" Plagg muttered wryly.

"You know I'm awake?"

"Well, you sigh every five minutes…"

"Everything's fine. I've finally got it."

"Really?" Kwami was surprised.

"I've followed your advice and I've thought over what Marinette told me. I've realised that she clearly wanted to tell me what she felt."

"Well…" Plagg grinned.

"And I've come to the conclusion that Luka is that mysterious boy she's in love with. Now it's clear for me that she treats me as a schoolmate only. But I could act like I was interested in her more as a girlfriend than a colleague. Especially, when I asked if she wanted to go to the ice rink next time only with me… And I thought then… - suddenly he stopped, embarrassed. – So, she suggested that…

But Plagg stopped listening. He rolled his eyes and murmured:

"I'm going to kill myself…"

And went to sleep.


	7. A progress?

_**Warning!**__ "Troublemaker" spoilers below! _

"It seems to me that you were wrong, kid." Plagg commented, while Adrien was trying to pull himself together.

They had been watching the live show from Dupain-Cheng's bakery, where Jagged Stone tried to learn how to bake. A moment ago, the famous musician had revealed all the secrets of Marinette's bedroom. Especially those related to many, many pictures of Adrien Agreste.

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation of that." The boy mumbled.

"Oh, I'm sure it is!" Plagg snorted.

"Poor Marinette, she'll be devastated. The whole class is watching this show!"

"Well…" Kwami muttered.

"Well what?" Adrien spotted.

"You're more concerned about her feelings than _this_ obvious bombshell?!" Plagg grinned.

"Oh, forget about it!" Adrien replied irritably.

He felt confused again. What did it mean? Why all those people (and kwamis) around him thought he was in love with Marinette?! Did he have to remind them all that she was just his best friend? One of those the closest to his heart. Why everyone around him added the romantic meaning to that?

Suddenly, he came back to the reality, observing a strange person on the TV screen. It had to be another super-villain. That meant he couldn't think over the misunderstanding of his feelings to Marinette. He had to focus on the task – the Dupain-Cheng's bakery was taken over by Troublemaker. And Cat Noir was going to solve at least _that_ trouble.

When he landed on Marinette's balcony, he felt almost familiar there. He'd been there a few times already. But never in such serious circumstances… Ladybug was already waiting for him, although – to be precise – she had rescued him after Troublemaker had thrown him away into a truck. He had no time to thank her. They had work to do.

Ladybug opened the trapdoor and went into Marinette's bedroom. Cat Noir hesitated. Sure, he'd been here, on the balcony a few times, but he'd never been inside. Except one time when he'd been invited there – as Adrien – before the Ultra Mecha Strike tournament.

Eventually, he followed Ladybug. And he became speechless. That _was_ real – his pictures were everywhere: on the walls, on the bed, under the bed, under the chaise… What did she do with all those?

He had no time for thinking about it. Ladybug was trying to get him distracted, or rather to keep him focused on the fight. She was quite irritated – so unlike her! He justified this automatically by the fact that Troublemaker had almost taken off Ladybug's earrings. Or, maybe it was because he had been holding her hand for a moment after they'd tried to catch Troublemaker's pen? Ladybug didn't pull out her hand, she didn't say a word – except a short grunt. That was rather him, who withdrew, remembering how she'd reacted on the rose last time. So… Maybe… Maybe something had changed?

No. That was only a wishful thinking… It was impossible that she could have changed her feelings within a few days. Marinette had told him that such things didn't happen.

However…

When he told Ladybug – at the end – that she was the girl of his dreams, she only laughed and called him '_silly Kitty_…' She didn't reject him, as usual. Could he call it _a progress_?

x x x

Cat Noir went back home full of mixed emotions. First, he was so hopeful now, after Ladybug had given him a hope – at least she stopped being irritated after hearing his confessions. But he was so worried about Marinette at the same time. Did it mean that he had been mistaken? How could he connect all his pictures in her bedroom with his theory of her feelings to Luka Couffaine?

He needed to talk to her. He felt like his head was about to blow up from all those thoughts. So, he made Plagg recharge his energy and ignoring kwami's chortle, he transformed into Cat Noir.

Marinette showed up on the balcony just after he landed there. She must have heard his steps. Weird. Usually he knew how to move noiselessly. Maybe she'd been waiting for him? Wait, why did he think that? He immediately subdued those thoughts. They were inappropriate. He glanced quickly at her. She was worried. Or maybe just scared?

"Come on in, Cat. It's getting cold." She whispered, making a welcoming gesture.

"Y-you don't mind?" he stuttered.

"Well, you were there already." She shrugged. "When Ladybug and you were ruining my bedroom."

"We were saving Paris." He reminded.

"It's a pity you couldn't save my reputation…" she muttered and jumped back into her bedroom.

Cat Noir followed her reluctantly. He glanced at Adrien's pictures on her walls next to her bed. He remembered very well, that more of them were under the bed. He blushed unintentionally.

"So, how's the scarf progress?" he asked, just to change the subject.

"I'm so sorry, Cat. I hasn't been in the designing mood recently…"

"It's OK. You know, there's no rush." He replied quickly, still looking around her room.

"I can show you what I've done already." She suggested.

"Uhm… I saw something today. When we were here with Ladybug. I hope she didn't notice anything, because that would ruin the surprise."

Marinette laughed in reply. Oh, if only he knew!

"I think she had her own problems today…" she commented.

"Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, glancing at her computer. "What is that game?"

Marinette giggled again.

"You won't believe it. My dad tried to comfort me today, so he gave me this old game. He told me it's classic. He used to play it when I was little."

"So, what's that?"

"_Heroes of Might and Magic_. The fifth instalment. Actually, dad told me that the third one was a masterpiece, but he couldn't find it, so he gave me the fifth."

"It's fantasy, isn't it?" Cat Noir asked interested, and he sat down by the desk.

"Yeah." She nodded and sat down next to him. "At first I thought it would be a boring turn-based strategy, but it turned out that the plot is quite interesting."

"The plot?" Cat Noir laughed. "Purrincess, you know that in gaming the fun is in… uhm… gaming?"

"Ha-Ha! What a joke, Cat!" she winced. "I'd better introduce you to Agrael. He's great. His lines are the best. And I think he hits on the Queen."

"Hits on?!" he spotted, surprised. He didn't know Marinette from this side.

"I mean, he fell for her. I think…"

"Oh, now I got it why you liked the plot!"

"Cat, Cat… I should be offended now." She muttered and nudged him. "But honestly, I think there's something there. That Agrael acts a bit weird for a demon. Maybe he hides behind a mask?"

"You have the sixth sense?" Cat Noir whispered.

"It's just bugging me. He was supposed to kidnap the Queen for the Demon Sovereign, but he does a lot of things to keep her safe."

Cat Noir looked at Marinette carefully and quickly looked away to the screen. He was a little bit concerned with the thoughts that suddenly awakened in his mind.


	8. Just a friend?

_**Warning!**__ Some minor spoilers from "Troublemaker"._

She denied everything. Marinette denied everything. When he talked to her in the locker room the next day after the fight against Troublemaker, she turned everything into a joke, mixing the words by the way. Adrien didn't know what to think. He couldn't understand why she had acted so weirdly to him again. After all, when he'd visited her as Cat Noir, she behaved completely differently.

He still didn't know what his pictures in her bedroom could mean, but – little by little – he didn't care. He focused on getting to know Marinette, who turned out to be a slightly different girl than he thought. He even had the impression that he was dealing with two people – a charmingly clumsy schoolmate and an ironic funny computer game maniac. And it was still one and the same person.

Worse, he noticed that he was becoming a little addicted to her company. He liked her sense of humour, he liked what she was telling him about the game she played, about school, about dress design and sewing. But the most, he liked when she teased him. Really, he didn't know her from this side. And he liked this side more and more.

He began to sneak out to her every evening – as Cat Noir, of course. She never let him feel he was bothering her. On the contrary, they both got into the world of Ashan and accompanied Agrael on his journey.

"Evening, Purrincess!" he welcomed Marinette, as usual, landing on her balcony. "How's your Agrael?"

"I'm pretty sure that he's not a demon." She replied with a smile, turning around to him, as if she was waiting for him. "One druid has just been surprised, because Agrael touched the Heart of the Griffin and that should take him to Sheogh, but it didn't. And Tieru was intrigued by this. So, that means I was right!"

"Wait, Purrincess! What a druid? What a Heart of the Griffin? And what a Sheogh?"

Marinette giggled.

"Oh, I can see you're interested in the plot as well, Kitty?"

"No, I'm not!" Cat Noir denied, blushing when he heard her calling him _'Kitty'_. Marinette didn't notice his blush and began explaining:

"The Heart of the Griffin is a very strong artefact that sends all demons back to their world, which is called Sheogh. It's stupid, because the Demon Sovereign gets back all his army. It's like Ladybug and you sent all previous super-villains back to Hawkmoth."

"And the 'Tieru' thing?"

"_He's_ a druid. I like him…" Marinette whispered and added quickly: "I mean as a _character_! He and Agrael have a sense of humour I like."

"_I_ _have_ a sense of humour as well!" Cat Noir replied jealously.

"Oh, Kitty! Your jokes are silly. And they are more ironically funny. Wait, I'll show you one of the latest dialogues. Come on in."

And she took his hand and led him to her room.

The first thing he noticed, was that all the walls were empty. It looked like Marinette had taken off all Adrien's pictures.

"Oh, you're not interested in fashion anymore?" escaped from Cat Noir, before he thought about it.

"What?" Marinette looked at him in astonishment.

"W-Well… I meant…" he stuttered, perfectly aware of his blunder. "W-well… You removed all those pictures of that model…"

"Yeah, well…" Marinette blushed suddenly. "Recently I've discovered I'm more opened. I mean… For new _designs_! I mean… I'm more _creative_."

"Oh, I got it." He sighed, surprised that he became sad. What was happening to him? Why did he suddenly care for Marinette's room to be full of his photos?

And then he looked at her desk. There was a picture in the frame that they had – quite recently – made during a trip to Disneyland – all them four: Marinette, Nino, Alya and he, as Adrien, not as Cat Noir, of course. It was probably the most wonderful day in his life.

"It's great to have such friends…" he whispered to himself.

Marinette came up to him, put her hand on his shoulder and hugged him very gently.

"Do you have any friends, Cat?" She asked quietly, glancing at him sideways.

"I do. I have." he whispered with a strange hoarseness in his voice. "You're my friend, Purrincess."

She giggled straight at his shoulder, and he felt a strange chill that ran over his back. He didn't have ticklish!

"Yes, Cat. I think I am your _friend_."

Was it, or wasn't it lined with some sort of insinuation? And suddenly he remembered their conversation about the fact that all the boys treated her like '_just a friend_'. She'd asked him then how to treat his visits to her. And he then blurted out one of the biggest nonsenses in his life.

x x x

Marinette felt like she was on the emotional rollercoaster. In the past two weeks, she had experienced more turnarounds than during her entire life. At first, Adrien broke her heart with his confessions to Kagami, then Luka showed his interest to her, and then he let her chase after her own happiness, which was slipping from her. And then there was a public catastrophe, after which everyone learned about her feelings for Adrien – including Adrien, who apparently didn't care much because he maintained their friendly relationship as if nothing had happened. And then Cat Noir appeared on her balcony, in her room, in her civilian life…

It wasn't like she didn't know him. After all, he had been her partner for a year and a half since they fought with the villains sent by Hawkmoth. But… It wasn't Cat Noir she had known as Ladybug. As Marinette she had the opportunity to know him from the other, unknown side. It was as if he was able to show the depth of his personality only to her civilian form. He didn't swagger in front of her like he used to do in front of Ladybug, he didn't show off, he didn't try to pick her up. He was just a normal boy. Apart from the small detail of being a superhero, of course…

And finally, she discovered that she liked this boy more and more – his sense of humour without those unbearable cat puns, his brilliant mind not distracting by flirting with Ladybug… Well, it turned out they had a lot in common. Not only the scarf for a superhero.

Oh! The scarf! She totally forgot about it! It had been two weeks now, and she didn't touch the work since that unlucky day. She spent the evenings with Cat Noir, playing the old computer game, and the only activity that she found determination was cleaning up the room from Adrien's photos. She left only one souvenir – the photo from Disneyland, where they had been all four friends, and Adrien was just himself there, not a famous model.

"You _do_ realise, how it looks?" Tikki asked in a serious tone.

"How looks what?" Marinette didn't understand, standing by her desk and crumpling the green fabric.

"Your putting off this work for later subconsciously."

"Do you think I do it subconsciously?" The girl was surprised.

"You do it _intentionally_?!" kwami exclaimed.

"It's quite possible, Tikki. Quite possible…" Marinette smiled mysteriously.


	9. The analogy

"Oh, come on!" Marinette exclaimed irritably. "That Isabel is just stupid!"

Cat Noir chuckled. It was the evening, and they both were playing the HOMM5 as usual. Actually, Marinette was playing, and Cat Noir was assisting her.

"Why do you think so?"

"Look, she has that guy on a plate! But no! She's going with this sick Necromancer to bring her husband back from the dead."

"Technically, she hasn't got married yet…" Cat Noir added.

Marinette looked at him ironically.

"I can see, Kitty, that you _really_ like the plot?" she muttered, and he felt a strange emotion – again – hearing her calling him _'Kitty'_.

"Not at all!" he shrugged to hide his embarrassment. "It seems to me that she loves Nicolai true love. She's not going to stop loving him just to fell in love with a Dark Elven."

"But look how much he has done for her! How much he had to sacrifice! He even went through the Rite of True Nature for her! By the way, Cat, you can congratulate me. I was right. Agrael wasn't a demon."

"Congrats, Purrincess." He bowed and winked. "I think they are like me and Ladybug…" he whispered suddenly.

"_What_?!" Marinette squeaked and looked at him with horror.

"Well, you know. I'm chasing after her, and she still repeats that she loves someone else. Just like your Isabel."

"What?!" Marinette exclaimed outraged and she moved back. She was staring at him with sparkles in her eyes and hot flush on her cheek.

Cat Noir realised suddenly what he had just said. Marinette's reaction surprised him. As if… As if… But he was afraid to go this way. Would it mean that she… That she was interested in him? No, that was impossible. She was helping him in winning Ladybug's heart!

However, they hadn't talked about the scarf for Ladybug for a while. They were playing HOMM5, teasing, well… becoming intimate with each other… And the scarf was staying on Marinette's desk and none of them was even looking there.

"You mean that you're like Raelag and Ladybug is Isabel?" Marinette asked quietly.

"Forget, what I said, Princess…" he whispered.

"You really think so?"

"Please, forget it. It just slipped out."

"Sure, Cat." She muttered and came back to the desk. "So, I'm afraid that your Ladybug is as stupid as Isabel."

"I've already told you that she's not _my_ Ladybug."

"If I remember correctly there's a plan to change this." She replied with a half-smile and winked at him. And he felt completely lost.

"Wait, what?"

"The scarf. Remember?" she laughed.

"No, I mean what you said before. You said that Ladybug was as stupid as Isabel. What did you mean?"

"Oh, Cat! You compared yourself to Raelag. And you admitted you're chasing after Ladybug. So, by analogy to that, if Isabel is blind and stupid, Ladybug must be the same as well… Maybe both will finally see the light… I'm very curious about how the plot will be developed."

"First, Ladybug should play HOMM5 and know the analogy…" he muttered and Marinette giggled.

"_O ye of little faith!"_ she thought.


	10. Marinette's birthday

_**Warning!**__ "Befana" spoilers below!_

"Hey, kid!" Plagg flew around Adrien's head for the tenth time, trying to wake him up from thoughtfulness. Without success.

The boy had been sitting for an hour, staring at the lucky charm that Marinette had given him a while ago. Lost in thoughts.

"Marinette has birthday tomorrow." He muttered.

"So?" Plagg asked, grinning.

"I'm thinking about a gift for her."

"You could decide, finally!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, you order gifts for Ladybug, for Marinette… Could you pick one girl?"

"Eh, I think I'll never get that scarf for Ladybug. Besides…" he stopped suddenly, and Plagg pricked up his ears and came closer the boy.

"Besides what?" kwami spotted.

"I'm not sure if I even want to give her the scarf…" Adrien sighed, and Plagg put twice more camembert to his mouth – just in case not to scream the obvious _"Finally!"_

"So, what are you going to give Marinette?" kwami muttered after a while.

"I want to give her something from me. But… I'm afraid that a lucky charm isn't sophisticated enough…"

"I have no idea, kid." Plagg shrugged. "You know this girl better."

"I don't know if I can even make the bracelet as beautiful as the one, she gave me."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate the fact you made it yourself."

"And I have to find another gift. You know, something I could give her as Cat Noir."

"Couldn't you give her the lucky charm as Cat Noir?"

"Plagg! She'll learn about my identity then!" Adrien reminded. "I almost blurted out my identity when I asked her about the pictures."

"What pictures?"

"My pictures. When I came to her and I noticed she'd removed all my photographs."

"You mean _'totographs'_?" Plagg cut in, but Adrien ignored him.

"I blurted out then that she stopped being interested in fashion. Well, as Cat Noir I shouldn't know about it, because she'd told _Adrien_ about that. Fortunately, she didn't get it."

"Somebody's met his match." Plagg mumbled and rolled his eyes.

"Never mind." Adrien ignored again his kwami. "I'll figure something out. First, I have to make the bracelet before tomorrow birthday party."

"Please, do. I'll wait…"

"For what?"

"Uhm…" Plagg was confused suddenly. "For you finishing the gift."

"You're still hiding something." Adrien discovered.

"Focus on your gift!" kwami reminded and escaped to his cheese corner. He was so lucky that his holder couldn't stand camembert!

"One day I'll discover your secret, Plagg…" Adrien whispered and turned back to his desk.

The lucky charm. For Marinette. That was his priority now.

x x x

"Cat, help!" Marinette screamed, hiding behind the table.

Cat Noir's heart stopped. He knew that he had to save her from her akumatised grandma. On the other hand, he was in trouble as well. He didn't want to become one of Befana's angels nor coal figures. When he finally escaped from Befana's servants, he came to Marinette.

"I'm sorry that you had to wait for so long…" he whispered and hugged her.

She put her arms around his neck, and he felt a bit dizzy. That wasn't a good sign. That wasn't good at all. It shouldn't take place! He made himself to focus on finding a safe place to hide Marinette.

"Why did your grandma become upset?" he asked, carrying her towards the Eiffel Tower.

"I think I spent too little time with her…" Marinette mumbled into his chest. He was so happy his heart beating could be explained by running across Paris, not by all the emotions resulted from holding her close to his heart.

"Don't worry, Purrincess. You'll get back your grandma." He promised and left her on one of the Eiffel Tower's platforms. "Oh, I almost forgot! Happy birthday, Princess!"

"Thank you, Cat Noir…" she replied softly and smiled warmly to him.

His heart melted immediately, but he called himself to order – he had a mission to save Paris. It wasn't easy, as Befana was a smart opponent. She figured out quickly where Cat Noir could hide her granddaughter. Ladybug complicated the situation even more, when she gave up and suggested that her partner should show where Marinette was hidden.

He couldn't make himself to do it. But if he understood Ladybug correctly – and they usually didn't need words to understand each other! – she had to have a plan. So, he led Befana to the place, where Marinette could be. He held his breath praying for not finding her there…

The storage locker was empty – except some brooms and cleansers. Marinette had to hide somewhere else. He'd never felt such a relief in his life before! He had no idea where the girl could be now, but he was happy he gave time Ladybug to realise the plan to defeat their opponent.

Now, he could come back to the birthday party, as Adrien.

He felt like his heart was about to escape from his chest, when he reached for the gift for Marinette. Would she like it? Would she appreciate it? Oh, she was surprised. That could mean that the lucky charm wasn't sophisticated enough, as he'd been afraid!

"Well, I-I always have the lucky charm you gave me. And it really brings me luck." He explained.

Actually, it already had brought him luck, he thought. Even if Marinette didn't like him the way he liked her, she didn't seem to reject him at least.

"So, I thought I could make one for you…" he added shyly, still waiting for any reaction.

"Uhm… Thank-thank you, Adrien…" she whispered finally, and blushed.

He wasn't sure if that was the reaction, he hoped for. But then he noticed that she liked the bracelet – in the way she held the gift after a while, when she thought nobody was watching. That gave him a hint that as Cat Noir he should give her something as personal as that bracelet. But what it could be?

He didn't find anything more than a flower. It even wasn't a rose. No. The rose will be associated with Ladybug. And his broken heart. But what about a daisy? He had to try. He had to see her after the birthday party.

"Cat Noir?" he heard a surprised question from the trapdoor on her balcony.

"Good evening, Purrincess. I didn't want to disturb you during your birthday dinner."

"We finished the dinner a while ago, Cat."

"I know it's late… I just…" he tried to justify his late visit.

She came closer and looked at him carefully.

"I don't have any present for you…" he whispered sadly, handing her the daisy.

"You saved me today. Could it be any better gift?" she smiled, accepting the flower, and she stroke his cheek. "Thank you, Cat…"

And then she kissed him on the cheek. He blushed – content, embarrassed, happy…


	11. The promised kiss

_**Warning!**__ "Reverser" spoilers below!_

Her worst nightmare just came true. Ladybug was always skilful and clever, but as soon as she was hit by Reversor's spell, she became clumsier than usually was as Marinette. She was tripping over her own feet. Moreover, she had to deal with scared Cat Noir. Which was so cute by the way, that she felt like cuddles rather than the fight against the super-villain. It didn't help her to focus on the mission. In addition, Cat Noir kept talking about finding Marinette, and she couldn't tell him that everything was fine with the girl. Except a little detail that as Ladybug she'd lost her skills. Fortunately, not all of them.

Good for her that she didn't lose her head and that she had friends she could count on. It was thanks to them that they managed to defeat Reverser, she regained her agility, and Cat Noir stopped being afraid of everything around him. Although… She had to admit it – it had its charm…

She sighed. Maybe it wasn't worth waiting for the scarf? Maybe she should just…

Ladybug glanced at Cat Noir sideways. He was still her partner. And yet she was painfully aware that for some time she couldn't treat him just "like a partner" anymore. Ever since they started spending almost every evening together, playing, talking, laughing at each other's jokes, Marinette more and more often caught herself on thinking that she was falling in love with Cat Noir. And after today's fight, she couldn't think of anything else but to kiss him.

"Remember, Kitty? I promised you a kiss once…" she asked him in a casual tone.

Cat Noir looked at her astonished. He stared at her for a moment, then suddenly looked away. Ladybug was a bit confused, not knowing what to think about it.

"Uhm, Bugaboo… I have to tell you something…" He muttered after a moment. "Don't be mad at me. But… I…"

"Yes?"

"Don't think it's because I lost patience or hope. Or that I betrayed your trust. Or that I was angry or something…"

"Just say it, Cat!" She said irritably.

"I fell in love."

"Oh, Cat…" She sighed, but this time somehow softly, not annoyed as she used to by this time.

"It's… There's a girl. Don't think I cheated on you or something. But… Recently… We've spent a lot of time with each other, and she _really_ is wonderful. She's like you, but civilian. I don't know if you understand what I want to tell you…" he fell silent, suddenly embarrassed.

Her eyes flashed with happiness and she hugged him closely.

"I'm so glad, Cat…" she whispered.

And he stopped understanding anything anymore.

x x x

"M-Marinette? Are you there?" Cat Noir asked, looking down through the trapdoor in Marinette's balcony.

"I'm here, Cat! Come on in!" he heard a muted invitation from her room.

Seconds later he landed next to her couch, suddenly embarrassed. He didn't expect that Marinette would be watching a movie on TV. The movie that looked like a romantic comedy. Or a fairy tale. He wasn't sure after a quick glance on the DVD cover.

"What's that?" he asked.

"_Princess Bride._"

"Really, Purrincess?" he grinned.

"Oh, Cat… Please…" she rolled her eyes. "That's another classic from my parents. I've just started, so if don't mind, feel invited."

"Er… Sure. Why not?"

"Popcorn?" Marinette asked and put the bowl with snack between them.

He calculated calories quickly and noticed that some popcorn wouldn't kill him.

"Yeah."

"So, here we go!"

After a moment he already felt so comfortable that he let himself be drawn into the movie. Indeed, it was an old movie, but it had something magical – maybe in its landscapes, maybe in jokes, maybe in fight scenes, maybe in hypnotising music… And before he even knew it, in some incomprehensible way he found himself under the blanket, with Marinette resting on his shoulder. He put the popcorn bowl back on the floor and he fell asleep.

He woke up around midnight. At first, he didn't know where he was and why he was still Cat Noir. Then he realised that Marinette was also sleeping – with her head on his chest, hugging him in her sleep. He noticed that his hand was wrapping around her waist and his hand rested on her hip. He blushed. And then he suddenly felt the urge to move that hand along her side. He held his breath in amazement at this thought. And that holding his breath woke Marinette up.

She moved and opened her eyes. She stopped breathing for a moment as well, when she noticed she was lying on him. She raised her head and looked into his eyes, slightly flushed.

"What time is it…?" she whispered a bit confused about the time of day or night.

"It's about midnight, Princess." he whispered back and then his hand unknowingly moved the way he had been thinking about a moment ago.

He was terribly embarrassed, and he was about to apologise – when Marinette smiled at him and… kissed him. On the lips.

Cat Noir had a feeling as if he was still dreaming. It was so impossible that they were lying on the couch and just kissing. And he felt like he was in heaven.

"Marinette, I have to tell you something." He whispered, breaking the kiss and looking at her shyly.

She glanced at him amused, combing through his hair.

"You have to know who I am." He began, but she immediately became serious and protested:

"No, I can't! You mustn't tell me!"

"But we know each other, Marinette. I'm…" he began again, but she put her hand to his mouth and said quickly in panic:

"Don't! We can't know our identities!"

"Our?" he spotted, and his heart stopped for a moment. He looked at her carefully. "Bugaboo?" he took the risk.

"I-I said: 'your'. _Your_ identity." Marinette stuttered and looked away. But before she did it, he'd seen the panic in her eyes.

"You said: '_our_', Marinette." He repeated softly. "Besides, only Ladybug knows what I call her." He added with a smile.

"Stop…"

"Plagg, claws in…" Cat Noir whispered, and Marinette immediately closed her eyes.

"I hope you know, what you're doing, kid." Plagg commented wryly.

"I hope that too…" Adrien muttered, staring uncertainly at Marinette, who was still lying with eyes closed. Hearing his voice, she held her breath.

"No…" she whispered.

"Why not?" he replied quietly and smiled. "I've told you we know each other."

He leaned to kiss her, but hesitated. She stopped breathing again, but not opened her eyes. He smiled seeing her blush. Finally, he kissed her. She sighed and kissed him back and plunged her hands in his hair.

Happiness buzzed in his veins. She accepted him. Both as Cat Noir and as Adrien. Suddenly, he remembered the moment when Ladybug had heard his confession. Well, now it made sense!


	12. A trade contract

"I think I have to buy a new present for you…" Adrien muttered in Marinette's ear.

"Why?"

"You can't make the scarf for yourself!"

Marinette giggled.

"But I've known I'm making it for myself from the beginning!"

"There's no way I'll give you that scarf now."

"Of course, you will. That was a trade contract. You ordered the product, so you must receive it."

"A trade contract?" he grinned, and she realised how much of Cat Noir was in Adrien. "I don't remember we discussed the price…"

"Don't look at me like that…" she whispered, suddenly embarrassed.

"Like what?"

"Well… Referring to what you've just said…"

"Yes?"

"So, you're looking at me like I was…"

"Like you were…?"

"Well, like it's _me_ to be…"

"Yes, Purrincess…?" he smiled meaningfully.

"You're unbearable!" she nudged him.

"No, I'm only curious what's up in your mind. I think that's the case for Sigmund Freud…"

"And I think that Sigmund Freud will scrape you from the wall soon!" she answered irritably, but he only laughed.

"You're wonderful!"

"And you're unbeara…" she started, but he interrupted her by a kiss.

Now he could tease her forever, and when she was getting angry, all he had to do was to kiss her. Life was beautiful again.

x x x

"OK, let it be." Adrien sighed after a while. "I'll take the scarf from you, but maybe I'll give it to someone else?"

For a moment the name of 'Kagami' hung between them in the air, even though nobody said it aloud.

"Just try and I'll tear _her_ into pieces…" Marinette muttered, and Adrien laughed.

"My Lady is showing her claws… I like that!" he commented, and she blushed immediately.

"Then better stop."

"So why did you bluff with that group meeting for the next time?" he referred to the day when they'd met at the ice rink.

"I beg your pardon?!" she exclaimed indignant and sat up, frowning.

"I asked you directly if you want to go only with me. And you started creating the whole list of people!"

"Because you asked in dismay!" she reproached him.

"What a dismay?" he asked surprised and sat up as well.

"As if going out with me was something terrible!"

"You must have been blind!"

"Well, you did your best to pull the wool over my eyes with all this date with Kagami!" she snorted.

"You weren't better. Why did you take Luka there?" he answered back.

"Oh, you _wish_ I came alone!" she crossed her arms and looked at him with a stern face. Adrien laughed suddenly. Did they argue about who had been more jealous?

"When I'm thinking about that day, I must admit I shot myself in a foot." Adrien noticed in a different tone.

"You know what? I think you're right. I'll tell you in secret, that good for you that Luka was more noble-minded than Cat Noir…"

"_What_?!" Adrien jumped up indignant, and Marinette smiled.

"Well, Luka encouraged me to try to win your heart. And Cat Noir just poached your girlfriend…"

"But… I'm Cat Noir…"

"When you were stealing me from yourself, I didn't know that you're Cat Noir. So, it looks like you _did_ steal me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You don't have to." She smiled. "Just remember to not shoot yourself in a foot again."

"Never, M'Lady. Cat's purromise."

She laughed in response.

"Be careful, Adrien!" she warned him. "You know my secret, but it doesn't mean you should blurt it out."

"And vice versa, M'Lady."

"I'm not calling you _'Kitty'_, when you're not him." She reminded.

"I like when you call me _'Kitty'_." He protested.

"But I can't call you that when you're in civilian self. Someone would finally figure it out."

"I beg you, just don't call me _'Adriekins'_…" he muttered, and she burst out laughing.

"Oh, never! I'd choke with that name!" she promised and then touched his cheek and whispered: "I'll find something, don't worry, _Kitty_…"

And she kissed him.


	13. Like holder like kwami

"M-Marinette?" Adrien asked after a while.

It was the middle of the night and they had been half-sleeping already.

"Mm?"

"I should get going."

"I know."

"But I don't want to go."

"Me neither."

"But I should. I didn't plan to stay overnight here."

"Well, I didn't plan to put you up for the night as well…" Marinette muttered, and then she added jokingly: "Probably, I would do that for Cat Noir, but for you… Nah…"

"What's the difference?" he asked surprised.

"Fundamental." She replied. "Cat Noir is sooo hot, and you are just a schoolmate…"

"Marinette…" he warned her.

"Too early for jokes?" she smiled. "Oh, OK. I mean that Cat Noir was someone I didn't know as a person."

"Ekhm…"

"Uhm, it doesn't sound good." She noticed. "I mean… I know where you live, that you have the family. And I would meet you at school next day. Not to say about my parents! If they found you here, you'd be dead. We both would be dead, actually. Or grounded to the rest of my life…"

"Soo… You're attracted by a mysterious seducer, but not by a schoolmate?"

"Let me remind you that I kissed you first, so I'm not sure who was seducing whom…" she murmured and immediately blushed, when she heard how it sounded.

Adrien laughed happily and embraced her tighter.

"I really have to go…" he whispered, at the same time hugging her closely that was totally opposite to his words.

"Then go." She answered, resting on his chest.

"I can't. You're lying on me."

She giggled.

"I'd throw you off the couch, if I wasn't afraid that my parents would come."

"OK, I'm going." He decided finally. "You convinced me by mentioning your parents."

"Oh…" she sighed disappointed.

"I'll come back tomorrow morning. I mean today. I mean in a few hours. I hope you don't have plans?"

"I'll check." She winked at him. "Saturdays are usually free. I go out with boys on Sundays."

"Marinette…"

"Sorry. I can't stop…"

"And you used to cavil at me…"

Marinette giggled. He was right.

"Plagg?" Adrien looked towards the dollhouse where both kwamis had gone a few hours ago. "We have to go."

"I'm not here!" they heard muted murmur.

"He's not here!" the tinier voice added.

"What are they doing there?" Marinette got up suddenly interested.

"No!" Adrien stopped her, when he finally realised what was happening. "Timeout, Plagg!"

"What a timeout?" Marinette asked in whispered, completely confused.

Adrien chuckled and hugged her closely.

"I don't get it…" she murmured.

"I think we're going to visit you very often. Both…" he whispered in her ear, suddenly feeling twice happier.

"All right, I'm here, kid." Plagg muttered wryly, coming to his holder.

"I hope you had a good time?"

"No comment!"

"You could tell me, when I asked you who's your…" Adrien began with a meaningful grin on his face.

"Don't you dare!" Plagg interrupted.

"Don't tell me you didn't tell her?"

"Like holder, like kwami…" Plagg answered back.

Hearing those words both Marinette and Tikki giggled. And Adrien blushed. But some things needed the right moment.

"Come on, Plagg. We're going." He muttered. "Claws out!"

A moment later he was standing as Cat Noir in front of Marinette. He couldn't make himself leave, but he knew they need to sleep at least a few hours.

"I'll come back in the morning, Purrincess…" he whispered, kissing her goodbye.

"Do it. I'll be waiting." She whispered back.

Then she followed him on her balcony, just to could see him a few seconds longer when he disappeared in the night. She sighed happily. She couldn't believe that all this had happened this evening.

Before she came back to her bedroom, she glanced quickly at her kwami.

"Really? He even hasn't told you he loves you?" she asked stepping down.

"He needs time." Tikki sighed. "But I know he loves me even if he hasn't told me that yet…"

"I know what you mean…" the girl sighed and closed the trapdoor.


	14. Our little girl has an admirer

When Marinette woke up next morning, she thought that everything that had happened last night was only a dream. That was impossible that Cat Noir turned out to be Adrien Agreste, who spent a half of the night in her room, and they were kissing and cuddling all the time… And that Cat Noir's kwami loved her Tikki…

"Tikki?"

"Good morning, Marinette!" Kwami came to her holder immediately. "Get up, get up!"

"Where's the fire, Tikki?"

"Stop joking. You have to eat your breakfast. Quickly!" Tikki was apparently too excited. "Hurry up!"

"But… What's going on?" Marinette was confused.

"They'll come soon! And you're still in your pyjamas!"

"Who will come?"

"What you mean by saying _'WHO'_?!" Tikki exclaimed indignantly. "Cat Noir! And Plagg! Hurry up!"

"Oh…" escaped from Marinette.

So, it _was_ true! Of course, it was true! Perfectly, wonderfully _true_! The girl laughed aloud and felt overwhelming relief and happiness. So, everything had happened _for real_! It wasn't a dream!

A moments later she was sitting downstairs, eating her breakfast in a hurry. She wasn't sure if Cat Noir would visit her on her balcony, or – as Adrien – he'd knock on the door. She finished her meal at the same moment when the doorbell rang. That was her answer. She ran to open the door.

Yes, there was Adrien behind the door.

"Hey…" she smiled shyly.

"Morning, Purrincess." He said. "How was your sleep?" he added, grinning meaningfully.

She rolled her eyes. It seemed to her that no matter if he visited her as a superhero or as a civilian – his cat's nature came out and would pester her till the end of her life. Well, not so much pester… After all, she liked him just as he was. In both selves.

"What do you think?" she replied jokingly. "Some stray cat disturbed me all night and I couldn't sleep."

"A stray cat?" he asked interested. "And all night?"

"Half a night…" she corrected and pulled him inside. "Instead of letting me sleep, he was demanding scratching behind ears."

"Oh, because it's so… nice… M'Lady." He whispered, embracing her.

He was just about to kiss her, when they both heard a meaningful grunting just behind Adrien's back.

"Good morning, young man." Marinette's dad greeted Adrien in a serious tone.

Adrien froze and exchanged terrified glances with Marinette.

"I assume there _is_ the reason you hold my daughter in your arms." Tom Dupain added.

"Uhm… Yes, sir. There is _the reason_." Adrien replied – also in a serious tone. Saying that he let Marinette go and turned towards her dad. His hand found her hand instinctively and he intertwined their fingers practically without thinking.

"That's good." Tom Dupain noticed approvingly.

Adrien was a little bit surprised, because he hadn't said anything concrete yet. But it seemed that Marinette's dad knew how to read between lines, so unlike Adrien's father…

"You… don't mind?" he asked in astonishment.

"All I've ever wanted was my daughter's happiness." Tom explained calmly. "Welcome in the family, son."

"_Dad_!" Marinette muttered, embarrassed.

"What?" her dad and Adrien replied in surprise at the same time. And all three burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Sabine Cheng asked standing at the door.

"Oh no…" Marinette only groaned.

"Our little girl has an admirer." Tom Dupain explained happily.

"Another?" Sabine frowned.

"Another?" Adrien repeated and glanced at Marinette quickly.

"Another?" Tom asked astonished.

"What '_another_', mom?" Marinette exclaimed.

"What about Cat Noir, darling?" Sabine reminded in a meaningful tone.

Adrien suppressed a laugh, and Marinette blushed terribly. Her dad stared at his wife in amazement.

"What Cat Noir, honey?" he asked slowly.

"That superhero." Sabine explained and then she turned to her daughter: "You should be honest, darling. It's not what we've taught you."

"Uhm, mom… Cat Noir is… uhm… just _a friend_."

Now Adrien was sure he would die of supressing laughing. She'd done it on purpose. He knew that. He'd seen that the corner of her mouth twitched when she was saying that. Oh, he'd never felt like kissing her more as at _that_ particular moment! What a wonderful girl!

"_Just_ a friend?" Sabine spotted. "And he visits you every evening?"

"How do you know that, mom?" escaped from Marinette.

"I have ears. I think it would be more honestly if you tell us the truth."

Marinette exchanged quick glances with Adrien. Well… Telling the truth would explain a lot, indeed. But they couldn't share this secret with her parents. It was too dangerous for them, for Marinette and Adrien, and for miraculouses of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

"Mom, you can be sure that Adrien knows everything about Cat Noir, and vice versa." Marinette informed in a serious tone.

"OK then, dear." Mom just nodded, and Adrien looked at his girlfriend in amazement.

What? They just believed in that explanation? So… such a trust was something normal in this family? He sighed, and Marinette hugged him, as if she knew exactly what he had just thought.


	15. The Scarf

On Sunday Marinette decided to come back working on the green scarf, being so ignored for the last weeks.

"Darling, Adrien's come!" Sabine informed her daughter from downstairs.

"Let him up here!" Marinette replied, not even looking away from her work.

Seconds later she heard Adrien's steps on the staircase.

"I'll just finish this stitch, OK?" she said unattentively, still focused on sewing.

"I'll wait…" Adrien replied and came closer to her desk. He embraced her and placed his chin on her shoulder, looking at her hands. "I just wanted to thank you for the scarf." He added in a whisper.

"But I haven't finished it yet!" she reminded him.

"Not _this_ scarf I meant…" he explained, and she glanced at him quickly.

And then she noticed a very familiar blue scarf around his neck. Suddenly she felt tears in her eyes, and her hands began trembling.

"How…?" she tried to ask but her voice let her down.

Adrien smiled and turned her chair around. Then took her hand and pulled her closer.

"You forgot about your signature?" he asked, embracing her. She could see green sparkles in his eyes.

"But…" she stuttered. "It's been almost a year since your birthday! When…?"

"Not so long ago. Remember when you said that you are knitting scarves with your eyes closed? When I was making the present for you for your birthday, I talked to Plagg about gifts in general. And suddenly I had a hunch, so I checked it. You'd hidden your signature very skilfully. After that it was piece of cake. I investigated the case and Nathalie finally admitted what she'd done on my birthday."

"Oh…" Marinette sighed.

"Speaking of my birthday…" he grinned. "What are you going to give me this time?"

"Definitely not another scarf… Unless I share this one with you…" she started thinking aloud.

"Well…"

"Nothing of _that_ kind, Adrien!" she warned him, seeing his meaningful smile.

"You have to be more careful with words then, Purrincess…" he advised her. "You get yourself into trouble on your own fault…"

"I think that _your_ head not mine should be the case for Sigmund Freud…" she commented.

"Let Freud rest in peace. And about your scarf… I think that seeing you wearing it would be the best gift for me. Green will go perfectly with _my_ eyes."

Marinette giggled. And she recalled herself their talk, when Cat Noir had ordered the gift for Ladybug.

"Much better than a red one with black dots, that's for sure." She murmured, and he laughed in response.

"Oh, you're so right!"

"At least I will be able to wear it…"

"Why wouldn't you?" he asked in surprise.

"Tikki told me once that as Ladybug I couldn't wear it, because it would disturb me during the fight or could be damaged. And as Marinette I couldn't wear it, because you'd learn about my identity."

"You know what? I didn't think about this that way…"

"Now it doesn't matter anymore. I can wear it in civilian life."

"You have to finish it first."

"And you have to give it to me. To _me_! Not another someone…"

"Not another someone, Marinette…" he confirmed seriously and then kissed her.


	16. Miraculous Marinette

It wasn't the first time – and not the last one, for sure – when Marinette woke up too late for the Monday classes. In a hurry she left home and ran into the school breathless. She passed the school courtyard as a hurricane only to ran into Adrien, who had been waiting for her in front of staircase.

"Morning, Purrincess…" he greeted her with a smile.

"A-Adrien…" she stuttered, as usually at school. It looked like surroundings reverted them to a-month-ago state of play.

"I've been already worried…" he whispered, and she was standing there and staring at him. "Marinette? Are you OK?"

"Su-sure…" she mumbled and suddenly she regained her composure: "We're going to be late!"

"Uhm…" he grinned. "Just one little thing and we can go."

"One little what?" she asked in astonishment.

He smiled and didn't answer but kissed her.

"Now we can go." He said, taking her hand.

"Uhm… Adrien?" she started shyly, going upstairs with him.

"What's up?"

"Are we… uhm… Are we just coming in the class just like that?"

"Why not? Are you ashamed of something?" he looked at her in surprise.

"Well, no…" she hesitated. "But… All of them will be staring at us. And Chloe…"

"What about Chloe? Are you afraid of her?"

"Kind of…"

"How's that possible? You, so fearless superheroine…" he laughed.

"Stop that! Or I'll start calling you '_Adriekiiiins'_…" she threatened.

"Blackmail, Bugaboo?"

"If a subtle persuasion doesn't work…"

"Soo… You've decided already how you're going to call me?" he changed the subject, leading her to the classroom.

"I can't help that you're my Kitty…" she sighed. "But maybe I'll find something suitable…"

"I don't mind you call me '_Kitty_'."

"I know, Adrien. But someone will put two and two together. Be careful and stop calling me Bugaboo…"

"Or, just let's tell people who we are, and everyone will be happy."

"Especially Hawkmoth…" Marinette muttered.

"Oh, right…"

At that moment the felt their teacher's little hands on their shoulders.

"Do you need a special invitation?" Miss Bustier asked gently, noticing their braided hands. "Should I announce you in the class?"

"Oh, no. No!" Marinette replied immediately.

"So, let's make a deal. I will let you for one morning-goodbye kiss. And you will promise me to focus on the lessons later, OK?" Miss Bustier whispered and winked at them. Marinette and Adrien exchanged their glances. And smiled to each other.

Then the teacher went into the classroom, giving them two seconds for the "morning-goodbye kiss". And after that they really had to follow her.

x x x

Miss Bustier couldn't predict one thing – that neither Adrien nor Marinette had problems with concentration during the lesson. In fact, both were the most diligent students today. The same couldn't be said, however, about the rest of the class. All of them were stirred by the obvious sensation and the teacher wasn't able to interest them with the topic of the lesson.

When the school bell rang finally, everyone picked up from the seats and rushed to the first rows. They surrounded Adrien and Marinette and began to talk – one of another.

"Are you together?"

"When did you start dating?"

"How did it happen?"

"Congrats, dude!"

"Details, girl!"

"Ridiculous! I'm calling Daddy!"

Marinette smiled under her breath at Chloe Bourgeois' comment. That girl had a remedy for all her problems. And the remedy was called Andre Bourgeois. But Marinette felt that Chloe couldn't hurt her anymore. The problem was with Alya. Actually, with frowned Alya. Yeah, she wasn't happy.

"Well, will you tell me what happened at the weekend, that we all could see this beautiful picture in the morning?" Alya asked wryly, after taking Adrien and Marinette outside the classroom.

"Even if I told you the whole story you wouldn't believe me…" Marinette muttered.

"Try me."

"It started from a scarf…" Adrien explained, and Marinette bit her lip to supress laughing. Well, he was right. It had _really_ started from the scarf… "And the rest is, what people say, the history."

"What scarf?" Alya asked suspiciously.

"The scarf that Marinette made for my birthday." Adrien whispered, although both Marinette and him knew that was about the completely different scarf.

"Y-you know it was from _her_?" Alya stuttered.

"I've discovered it recently. I wish I did it sooner…"

Suddenly Alya laughed loudly and hugged her friend.

"I told you that one day he'd discover how wonderful you are!"

Marinette blushed, and Adrien embraced her tenderly and said:

"Because _you are_."

And then he whispered in her ear that no one else could hear it:

"Truly _miraculous_…"


	17. Delivery

"Good news, Kitty! I've finished your order." Marinette welcomed Cat Noir in the evening, when he landed on her balcony.

"It's high time. I was about to cancel it."

"You're unbearable!" she nudged him with a smile.

"You were making the scarf for so long, that I managed to fall out of love with Ladybug…" he muttered, leaning for a kiss.

"That was my plan, Kitty." She whispered and kissed him.

"Really?" he was surprised.

"Well… Maybe not at the beginning…" she admitted. "But then I thought that if you love Ladybug, you should love her for the _real_ her, not for her superhero-self."

"In that case, I'm so thankful that you let me know you, Bugaboo. I definitely prefer your civilian private self."

"Civilian _private_?" she spotted with a smile.

"Well, you as Marinette, but not at school. Here, in your room. I mean: private."

"Oh, I got it! I think I like your private self as well. Not Adrien from school, nor Cat Noir from the fight, when you pester me with flirting."

"I _pester_ you with flirting?" he asked in astonishment.

"Yeah, you show off. I prefer you flirting with me here. In my room. I mean: _private_." She repeated his words.

"And which private self you prefer? Civilian me or superhero-me?"

"Doesn't matter, because Tikki wants Plagg. So, go now and visit me decently, please. I mean through the door."

"Why do I have to visit you decently to let our kwamis visit each other indecently?" he muttered wryly, and Marinette giggled.

"Oh, Kitty, Kitty… You don't want to meet _bugged_ Tikki."

"A pun, M'Lady?" he spotted, and she rolled her eyes. "Well… OK then… As you wish…" he sighed, involuntarily quoting the movie they had watched recently.

"I see you liked it." She gave him a wink.

"What?"

"The movie. '_Princess Bride_'."

"Why do you think so?"

"You quoted Westley. '_As you wish_…'"

"Oh, right!" He laughed. "I must have done it subconsciously, Purrincess." He admitted and added after a while: "Not-Bride-Yet."

"Wh-What?" she stuttered and looked at him with eyes wide opened.

"Princess Not-Bride-Yet." He repeated grinning, as if he knew perfectly what she had understood, and he didn't mean to change it. He leaned and before he kissed her, he whispered: "I'm knocking on your door in one minute."

Indeed, a minute later Ms. Cheng called her daughter:

"Darling, Adrien's here!"

"I'm coming, mom!"

She ran downstairs in a heartbeat. Decently or not – his visits were something that she got used to easily. Actually, there was no difference if she talked to Cat Noir or Adrien. It was the same boy – the one so close to her heart. To his Princess Not-Bride-Yet.

x x x

"How's your Agrael?"

These were words, that Cat Noir greeted Marinette, landing on her balcony. She turned around immediately and laughed happily.

"Raelag, you mean?"

"It depends which self is hotter for you. With or without the mask."

"You still about that?" she rolled her eyes. "Kitty, Kitty… If you _must know_ with the mask you're as hotter as more irritating. So, decide if you prefer wasting your time for my irritation, or…"

She couldn't finish that sentence, because she was suddenly embraced and kissed.

"Soooo, I'm hotter as Cat Noir?" he murmured after a while, and she rolled her eyes again and laughed.

"Definitely more irritating." She added.

"I haven't heard that." He gave her a wink.

"You know you have to…" she began, and he only sighed.

"It's so bothersome that I have to visit you as my civilian self. Can't you just tell your parents that you broke up with Adrien and started dating Cat Noir?"

"It's out of the question!" she replied firmly. "Firstly, Tikki won't forgive me that. Secondly, Plagg won't forgive me that. And both will make our lives insufferable."

"And thirdly?"

"Why should I have the third reason?" she asked surprised.

"Well, I thought that you have more reasons than only being afraid of consequences of ruining our kwamis' lovely romance…"

"Oh, OK…" she sighed. "Thirdly, we won't be able to spend time together at school. I'd have to keep you away from me before classes…" she whispered, touching his cheek. "Between classes…" she added, touching his chin. "After classes…" she finished, touching his lips.

"Purrincess…" he whispered, gulping.

"Yes?" she smiled coquettishly.

"You're dangerously close to purrfection."

"Only close to?" she spotted, frowning. "Kitty…" she added in a warning tone.

"Actually, you need only one tiny detail to be purrfect, M'Lady." He whispered and looked at her palm so suggestively, that she lost her breath for a moment. "I've got something for you." He added, and she melted immediately.

He reached out to the side, where, just after arriving at her balcony, he put down the flat, long box. Marinette looked there and guessed what Cat Noir wanted to give her. She laughed mentally, realizing what stupid thoughts had just come to her. What did she expect?! After all, they were only fourteen years old!

And Cat Noir picked up the box and suddenly hesitated. He looked at Marinette shyly, and his hand unknowingly patted the box, as if he wasn't entirely sure if or how he should give her the present.

"I'm still embarrassed that I ordered the gift for you at you…" he whispered.

"We've already discussed this, Kitty."

"And you still remember that my birthday is soon?" he added with his cat-smile.

"Yes, I remember." She nodded.

"Don't think that I'm trying to put pressure on you or something… But… I can't really imagine a better gift for myself than you'd agree to wear _it_." he blurted out in one breath, blushing horribly.

Marinette smiled tenderly and stroked his cheek.

"We've already decided about it, Kitty, haven't we?" she whispered softly, then opened the box.

And she became speechless.

The box, indeed, contained the green scarf. And an emerald ring on it…

THE END 3


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